Care & Hospitality

“Charity begins at home, but should not end there.”
                   Thomas Fuller –  Links

Flower

The people in our own congregation receive structured spiritual and emotional care from our Minister, and the pastoral care team. This is supported and reinforced by sharing our faith in various church and other settings where people support each other. Safeguarding makes the church a safe place for all. From this firm base we can be welcoming to visitors and newcomers and can give care and hospitality.

The Drive Church supports a number of outside groups. 

The Retreat is a group of seven alms-houses, very close to the Drive Church and Cornwall Hall and built together with them in 1904. Residents are people of limited financial means, over the age of sixty, who were born or have lived in the locality for at least 10 years. The houses have a living room, bedroom, kitchen, toilet and shower. The residents do not have to be Methodists, but some are. There is easy level access to the centre of Sevenoaks on foot, very suitable for elderly residents. There is a pleasant shared garden and some of the houses have small gardens of their own. Trustees and other church members provide pastoral support, and help to make arrangements for medical support if called to do so. 

Deptford Mission is a London based Methodist Charity. Members of the charity, many disabled, come for an annual tea in the Cornwall Hall. This is so popular that the Mission has had to run a ballot for the limited transport spaces available!

The Flower Ministry team, on Monday make up bunches from the Sunday flower arrangement to take to the homes of members or their friends, who are unwell or sad. A gift of flowers is greatly appreciated.

The Beechmont Saturday Club for adults of any age with learning disabilities, meets in the Mencap Hall and has two Coffee Mornings each year to pay rent, insurance, activities, entertainers, refreshments, Christmas party and presents. It is the only remaining part of a much larger organisation run by the Beechmont Trust. It has been run for many years by church member Margaret Digweed.

Weald Heights care home: a monthly service is run by Drive Church members (see What’s On).